Memorise: Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. James 5:4
Read: Exodus 12:30-36 (KJV)
30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.
32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.
33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.
34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.
35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
36 And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.
Bible in one year:
2nd Kings 23,
Daniel 9:16-27,
Hymn:
Sing hymn 5
Message:
Whenever we read the story of how God paid the Israelites the arrears of their 430 years of labour, we are understandably excited, but we need to pay close attention to the lessons God is teaching us through it. The Holy Spirit said in 1st Corinthians 10:11:
“Now all these things happened unto them for en-samples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
Those who know the true God of the universe understand the He is a God of justice and equity, and He created us to live accordingly. In fact, He requires justice and equity not only from mankind but from all His creatures. For example, when rain falls on the earth, God expects the ground to yield her increase (Leviticus 26:4). This might be the reason why the Lord cursed the fig tree that was just receiving nutrients from the ground and sapping the energy of the gardener without producing the expected fruit (Mark 11:12-14,20), The worst aspect of the Egyptians’ ill-treatment of the Israelites was that they did not pay them any wages; they actually subjected them to forced labour. Its therefore not surprising that in Exodus 3:7 God said:
“…I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;”
Thankfully, God made sure that the Egyptians paid in arrears all that they owned the Israelites (Exodus 12:36). Are you in sorrow as a result of taskmasters dominating your life? This verse is a message coming from the Lord to reassure you that He sees your plight. The Lord will hear you as you cry to Him today over those taskmasters in Jesus’ Name. Beloved, when the Lord is on your side, you will not only win a battle without a fight, you will also gather the spoils of war, just as the Israelites gathered the wealth of the Egyptians in one night.
Moreover, this story also has a serious lesson for tyrant employers of labour. When the Lord begins to fight for the employees that you have been exploiting, you will pay in a hurry, and it will be in devastating arrears! This truth is established in today’s memory verse, and the consequences that follow are clearly stated in James 5:2-3, which says:
“Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire….”
If you are guilt of this sin, please repent and restitute your ways without further delays.
Prayer Point:
Father, please forgive me in any way I have defrauded others, and help me to restitute my ways. Also, let those holding all my wages that have been denied me release them in a hurry.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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